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Saturday, August 1, 2009

Vegan Cooking Lesson

I had a request for a cooking lesson from a recent CHIP (Coronary Health Improvement Project) graduate. The lesson was a graduation gift from friends for her completion of the 26-hour educational program which addresses lifestyle factors that contribute to heart disease. Because CHIP recommends following a plant-based diet, she was ready to start cooking. And I was happy to help make it easy and delicious!

We started the meal with a "Sea"sar Salad made with Romaine Lettuce, Pear, Avocado and a Tahini Dulse Dressing. Creamy and crisp, savory and sweet, the textures complemented each other as well as the flavors.

Since my student is a fan of Indian food (as am I!), our entree was a dairy-free take on the traditional Saag Paneer made with Tofu instead of cheese, accompanied by a Curried Chickpea and Quinoa Pilaf. This high-protein, low-fat meal was quite filling.

For dessert, we enjoyed a luscious Red, White and Blue Tapioca Parfait made with sweet and plump strawberries and blueberries.

The tapioca recipe is modified from The Fat Free Vegan (http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/06/strawberry-blueberry-tapioca-parfaits.html). I used soy milk instead of almond milk, vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean, and chopped the strawberries instead of pureeing them. No added fat and very low in sugar, other than the super sweet berries!